Last week I told you about the beautiful Kettle Valley Rail Trail and specifically the part we went on, from Penticton to Naramata. But as I also told you, there’s so much more to explore along this 600+ kilometre long trail – and what better way to do it than on one or several Kettle Valley bike tours?
First, you need to decide where along this long trail you want to do the bike tour. Secondly, you need to choose if you want to go with a tour company or by yourself, depending on what you prefer (or, like in our case, what your budget prefer!) And, finally, you have to decide when you want to go and see if that will work out with the other choices you’ve already made!
Kettle Valley Bike Tours
A guided or self-guided tour with a company
A self-guided tour arranged by a company is a good option if you want to do the tour by yourself at your own pace, but not be responsible for the planning. You’ll get an itinerary handed to you and if it’s a longer tour, the accommodation will most likely be taken care of as well. Sometimes even food is included. It might be hard to find a tour if you’re not going during summer – remember to carefully check each company’s website for dates!
Here are some companies to check out for a guided or self-guided tour:
KVR Cycle Tours
This company offers a wide range of self-guided, multi-day tours in the Okanagan. They are all different – you can easily find one that suits you and your expectations. They also offer group discounts on their tours, so consider bringing your friends!
Myra Canyon Bike Rentals
With Myra Canyon Bike Rentals, you can go on both self-guided tours and guided tours. They also give you the opportunity to combine biking with wine tasting! You will be picked up from your accommodation in Kelowna or West Kelowna to go to the start at Myra Canyon or Coldstream. You can either choose a half day tour or go for a full day and you have different options to choose between depending on where you want to go.
West Canada Bike Tours
Looking for a longer tour? This company has both guided and self-guided tours that partly or completely goes on the Kettle Valley Rail Trail. The tours are about 20 days long. This is a good option if you want to explore a lot of British Columbia. They also offer tours on Vancouver Island and among the Rocky Mountains. The tours start at different locations, both in British Columbia and Alberta.
Giro Okanagan
Giro Okanagan offers guided tours along the Kettle Valley Rail Trail. They are very keen to give you the tour that you want. They will ask everyone participating on the tour for preferences before the trip, such as food and what experiences you’re looking forward to, to make sure they plan something that will suit that particular group!
HooDoo Adventures
This company offers various guided tours in the Okanagan. You can choose to just ride along the Kettle Valley Rail Trail and enjoy the beautiful views, or go on a tour that also takes you to vineyards for a picnic and a distillery/brewery tour. If you’re up for something a bit more adventurous, there’s also the opportunity to go mountain-biking and even improve your biking skills with a qualified instructor.
Be your own tour guide
Do you prefer to be in control? Do you want to plan and book your trip along the trail yourself? Then go for it, make your own Kettle Valley bike tour! That’s what we did, and we had a great day with lots of stops along the trail. Make your own plans according to your needs and goals and book accommodation if you’ll be away for more than one day. Be your own tour guide!
To be able to do this, you should read a bit about the Kettle Valley Rail Trail first. Then, you can start planning where you want to go and what you want to explore. You should also figure out where to rent a bike, if you don’t bring your own. Have in mind that you probably need to bring it back to the same place that you rented it in – so you’ll have to do a round trip!
Personally, since I love to plan and be in control on my trips, I’d go for this option again if I decide to go on another bike tour. If you’re travelling on a budget, this would most likely also be your best option – but be ready to spend some time organizing everything!
Whichever option you choose, have a great time exploring the beautiful Kettle Valley Rail Trail!
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